California appeals court upholds actor Danny Masterson’s rape convictions

LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court on Tuesday upheld actor Danny Masterson 's convictions and long prison sentence for raping two women at his home in 2003.

In an 89-page ruling, the three-judge panel unanimously found that the “That '70s Show” actor had failed to demonstrate that the lower court made errors that would warrant granting him a new trial. The panel also rejected a petition filed by Masterson that claimed ineffective assistance of counsel.

Masterson's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury in 2022, but at his retrial the following year, he was convicted of raping two women. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

His attorneys said in an emailed statement Tuesday that they would seek review at the California Supreme Court.

Among the claims that the court rejected were that Masterson's convictions violated the 10-year statute of limitations for forcible rape, as the statute does not apply where there are multiple victims; that the trial court excluded evidence in his favor; and that the trial court exhibited bias against his religion.

Masterson is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, and his accusers are former members who said they grew disillusioned with…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business